Monthly Archives: May 2012

An increase in tube-well installation fuels demand for plastic pipes and encourages firms like Navana, Bengal and Gazi to invest more in the sector.

The market for non-biodegradable plastic pipes has seen a steady rise since it became an alternative to iron pipes in 1985.

Initially, the market consisted entirely of Old Dhaka-based small-scale manual factories, said Moniruzzaman Panna, managing director of Aziz Pipes, one of the oldest pipe makers.

But the landscape started to change as large firms — RFL (Rangpur Foundry Ltd) and National Polymer — were lured in by the growing demand for tube wells thanks to a rise in construction of new buildings.

Industry insiders said the annual market demand for plastic pipes stands between 80,000 tonnes and 125,000 tonnes, and has been growing by 15-20 percent over the past three years.

“The market for plastic pipes is expanding and we expect it to grow in the coming years,” said Atiur Rahman, assistant general manager of Navana Engineering, a concern of Navana Group.

Earlier this year, Navana started producing plastic pipes as water supply accessories. “We will also enter the sanitation and sewerage segment in four months,” Rahman said.

“Plastic pipes are cheaper and last longer than iron pipes, which get rusty after some years,” said Kamruzzaman Kamal, a director in the market leader Pran-RFL Group.

“There is scope for business as the market is growing with the increasing pace of urbanisation and expansion of cities and towns,” said Habibur Rahman, general manager of Bengal Plastic Pipes Ltd, a concern of Bengal Group of Industries.

The entry of more large companies in the market will enhance competition and raise the quality of products, Rahman said.

“Small factories that once ruled the market will gradually be lost to the competition,” he said ruefully.

Many small-cottage based factories were driven out of business in recent years, said Panna of Aziz Pipes.

Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) will be able to collect 70 percent water from surface water treatment plants within 2021, significantly reducing the dependency on the fast depleting underground water reserves, Managing Director Taqsem A Khan said yesterday.

“We have already taken a decision to increase the number of surface water treatment plants, considering the falling underground water level. We have taken four projects for this plan, while one was implemented and the rest will be executed gradually”, he said.

Dhaka Wasa is now collecting 87 percent water from the underground sources and only 13 percent from the surface water treatment plants, Taqsem told The Daily Star when asked.

Earlier, he told a seminar yesterday that Wasa shifted its focus from underground water treatment plants to surface water plants to protect the environmental balance.

Former chairman of Wasa and urban specialist Prof Nazrul Islam said Wasa must ensure proper supply of water before the people were forced into besieging its office.

He also suggested Wasa activities should be discontinued in Narayanganj, Tongi, and Gazipur, as these areas were now under city corporations. The services should not be extended also to Savar and Ashulia so that the city dwellers get more benefits, he added.

Speaking as a special guest, Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed, founder of Bishwa Sahitya Kendra, said the Wasa authorities should divide its activities into at least six or seven zones for improved services.

Although it seemed that Wasa activities have been making progress, Dhaka City Corporation and Rajuk’s performances are perhaps worsening gradually, he said.

Given that the underground water level has been going down two to three metres each year, it will be tough to live in Dhaka city in the near future due to a lack of water, said Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, lawmaker of Dhaka-11.

Addressing as chief guest, he urged the city dwellers to be more considerate in using water and requested not to make any waste.

Firoz Ahmed, a water resources expert, said that due to inefficient water distribution system of Wasa, there was a continued system loss, which eventually deprived people of water.

Bapa president ASM Shahjahan chaired the seminar, while representatives from some development organisations and Wasa also spoke.